Big City Dreams
by casa-dilla
Summary: Picks up where the season finale leaves off. Jane is given some big news by Billy and by Jeremy. With trouble looming and her life falling apart, what's a high fashion, high school girl to do?
1. Fall Apart

**Fall** **Apart**

Sometimes, good things have to fall apart for better things to fall together- Unknown

* * *

I had waited on the catwalk for Jeremy to come back, like he had asked me to. I couldn't help the feelings that I had for him. Billy always referred to it as my school girl crush. What more could it have been really? Considering the age difference and the fact that I had been lying to him and everyone else since the moment I stepped foot into Donovan Decker.

I had been surprised when instead of Jeremy, Billy came into the room, running and out of breath. The smile on his face, the way he told me that everything with the court would be fine. It removed the dread I hadn't realized I had been holding onto. I felt the smile on my face, seeing him so overcome with happiness.

"It's you, Janey," Billy said. And in that moment, I knew what he meant, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it. How could I? Billy had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. I had shared everything with him. All of my deepest, darkest secrets. I had been cautious with everyone else in the world, except him. I had allowed myself this one exception. After seeing the way my mother had ripped our family apart, the way it had crushed my dad, I didn't let myself get close to anyone that way. Except Billy.

"Jane?"

The voice came from behind me. Jeremy.

I had waited just like he had asked me to. Five minutes ago I would have waited forever for Jeremy. Even if it was just a school girl crush.

And now, I stood between the two of them on the catwalk. The two representations of my separate lives. Jeremy had come around the corner and was now eying Billy and me curiously. I wondered if he was putting it together. That the boy from the photos from the trunk show was the same as from school that day, but I couldn't be sure.

"Jane, I hoped-" Jeremy began and then stopped. I turned back to Billy, and could see the hurt in his eyes. I looked at him carefully, a telepathic plea that I hoped he would understand. I needed just a moment with Jeremy. Surely my best friend could grant me that much?

I swallowed hard as I turned back to Jeremy. "Yes?" I asked, cautiously. I knew it wasn't good to have them here, staring at each other. It would only be a matter of time before Jeremy figured it out. My two lives had crossed far too many times for no one at Donovan Decker to have noticed. Well, India had been a close call- but for all intents and purposes I didn't have to worry about her anymore. She had been fired just tonight.

"I was hoping to speak with you… privately." The quizzical expression on Jeremy's face vanished as he locked eyes with me.

I turned back to glance at Billy. The anxious look in his eye mingled with something that resembled pain and was quickly replaced by a mask of indifference. I knew that look. I knew that this was not going to end well.

"I actually… Uhhh… Was just getting ready to leave," I said to Jeremy, gesturing to Billy. "Could we talk tomorrow?"

"Sure," he nodded.

I turned to leave. Billy seemed surprised, but gave me another huge smile and jumped from the platform. He took my hand to help me down. I had just hopped down off the catwalk when Jeremy's voice stopped me.

"Wait," he said quietly. "She was right."

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around, careful not to let the truth show on my face. My eyes locked with Jeremy's once more and I couldn't help the pleading stare that I gave him.

"India," he said, eyes never leaving mine. "She was right."

I scoffed. "Jeremy, please. You don't really think I was the mole."

"Not about that," he said dismissively, shaking his head. I felt my stomach drop as his eyes went to Billy. My grip on my best friend's hand tightened into a vice and I could see him wincing out of the corner of my eye. Jeremy was staring straight at Billy now, trying to see what India saw that day at school.

"She was right about you. You're the boy from the photo. The same one from the video. From that school." Jeremy took two steps forward and stopped. He finally tore his eyes from Billy and looked at me again. "Jane, what is going on?"

I considered telling him everything, right then and there. But there was so much to say, and I wasn't sure what to include and what to leave out. I wasn't sure if there was any way to salvage any part of my life at Donovan Decker. If there was, explaining everything to Jeremy right now was not the answer.

"I'll tell you…" I said. "I'll tell you everything." My voice was barely above a whisper now, hoarse with emotion. "But can I ask you something first?" I finally let go of Billy's hand and stepped back up onto the catwalk.

Jeremy nodded.

"Do you trust me?" I could tell the question caught him off guard. I wondered if he was thinking back over the last few months. My dress for homecoming that we used at the last runway show. My sketch for the wedding gown that India stole. He had trusted me then.

Jeremy nodded again. "Yes, Jane."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Then, can we keep this photo/video thing between just us for now? If I promise to explain everything to you tomorrow?"

He was quiet for a long moment. "There's something I need to tell you, too." He explained solemnly. There was something about his expression that made me worry, but I couldn't decipher it. He leaned in close, whispering in my ear. "Meet me for lunch, tomorrow. One o'clock."

I nodded and turned back towards Billy, whose pained expression made a quick reappearance before he turned his back.

Hopping down from the catwalk once more, I gave Billy a cautious look and we walked out of the building. I wasn't sure what to expect or say after what he had admitted. I wasn't even really sure he had meant it the way I thought he did. But I knew that I couldn't let it go like nothing had happened, not after everything that had just happened with Jeremy.

"So... you were saying before?" I asked.

I saw him gulp like he was having second thoughts about what he had just admitted to me. "It was nothing," he said, avoiding my gaze.

I raised a brow. "You are the biggest liar in the world, Billy Nutter." I laughed then, actually laughed at my best friend for telling me how he felt about me.

Instead of answering, he leaned in and pressed his lips eagerly against mine. I stood there, frozen for a long moment, not sure how to respond. Instinctively, I felt him tense and pull back. "Jane... sorry... I just-"

I shook my head dismissively. "No, don't be." I reached down and grabbed his hand, lacing his fingers with my own. "It's just going to take some... adjustment... I think."

Billy pulled me in for a tight hug. "I'm so glad Janey," he whispered into my hair. It was a long moment before he released me.

V V V V

The next morning I woke with more trouble than normal. The fashion show the night before had given me such a high, and the subsequent conversation with Jeremy after caused the severity of everything to hit me with more force than I had expected. It practically sucked the air from my lungs, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do. The kiss with Billy was still kind of beyond what I could force myself to comprehend, and so I let it hang there in my memory, just out of the grasp of things to freak out about. Meeting Jeremy for lunch today was going to take more than the strength I had left to worry about.

I laid in bed longer than normal, feeling a sense of trepidation that I knew would only intensify once my feet hit the floor. Finally dragging myself from bed, I scoured my closet for the perfect outfit for the day. Something that said innocent and grown up at the same time. I wanted Jeremy to see why I made the decisions that I made. That I was being responsible for my family because I really didn't have any other choice.

Finally settling on a pencil skirt with a flirty flare at the bottom and a cute blouse of my own design, I grabbed a pair of pumps and headed for the door. I met Ben in the kitchen, and heard the soft snores of Billy on the couch behind me. Ben filled me in on the happenings of the car. Apparently it had been taken to a car dealership where a friend of Ben's worked and they gave him a loaner first thing that morning for us to use. Rather than waking Billy to ask for a ride to the train station (I really couldn't handle any more awkwardness, and I still wasn't sure I knew how I felt about the kiss) I asked Ben instead... you know, since we were trying the whole honesty thing.

I ate the granola bar slowly as Ben and I rode in silence for a while. It wasn't until I flipped the switch on the radio that he spoke up.

"Long day at the office today?" He asked, cautiously.

I shook my head. "Just a quick meeting. I should be back by three."

The rest of the drive passed in silence. I wasn't sure if Ben could tell I had something on my mind, but I was grateful for the time to explore my thoughts and figure out what exactly I was going to tell Jeremy when the time came. Finally, I decided that I would have to tell him everything. It might be the only way to make him really understand.

I popped my ear buds in and cranked my iPod as loud as I could stand once I had gotten on the train. Now that I had made the decision to tell Jeremy everything, I didn't want to think about it anymore. The music pumped through my veins and helped drown out my thoughts and by the time I finally reached my stop, I could feel the nerves begin to creep back up again.

As I pulled open the front door to Donovan Decker, the knot in my stomach grew until my entire insides felt like they were twisted around like the time Ben had tricked me into going on my first upside down roller coaster. The downward spiral twist had my stomach lurching all over the place and left me queasy for the remainder of the day.

Jeremy sat hunched over his desk, sketching away in his notebook. He looked up at me as if sensing my presence and gave me a tight smile.

"You made it," he said quietly.

I smiled back cautiously, beginning to feel more and more unnerved. "One o'clock," I said, glancing at the clock above his head.

"Right," he nodded.

"To the food court?" I asked, which was where we normally ate lunch on the days that I was there for it.

"I was thinking somewhere a little more…" he paused.

"Private?" I asked, finishing his sentence for him. I wasn't really sure that was the effect I was going for, but I also knew if I was going to tell him everything, I didn't want it to be anywhere close to Donovan Decker.

We headed out of the building and crossed the street to a small quiet restaurant. We were shown to a table near the back where we had more privacy than I could have asked for.

After a few moments, our waiter came by and took our orders, ultimately leaving us in peace and quiet to talk.

"The fashion show was really great last night," I said, taking a sip of water. I couldn't help feeling nervous. I knew that the end of this lunch most likely meant the end of my time working with Jeremy and Gray and Carter. But I knew that small talk might calm my nerves some. And maybe I could even make Jeremy see why I still needed this job so desperately. For Ben and me. For the family we had created by having no one left but each other. And now, for Billy, and whatever would come of this screw up with his brother. All of these thoughts swirled in my head until nothing but small talk was left.

"All because of you," Jeremy said, a charming smirk on his face.

"It was everyone," I replied, meeting his eyes shyly.

"Stop being so modest, Jane," he said, looking at me sternly. "It's not something rewarded in this business."

I frowned slightly, feeling a blush creep up on my cheeks.

"Alright, enough chit-chat," he said. His eyes gave away his discomfort, like he might lose his nerve if he didn't get it out soon.

"Now?" I asked innocently. "You don't at least want to enjoy our food first?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so." It was the first time his words made me feel like anything less than an equal. The first time he spoke to me like a child; like he knew.

I cleared my throat. "Who first?"

"You," he said quickly. "You, I think." Somehow he looked almost vulnerable. I wondered what it was that he had to tell me that was causing him to lose his cool so much.

I took a deep breath and figured it was now or never. "Okay. But please, promise you'll hear me out."

He nodded.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before beginning. "My father died two years ago," I started cautiously. I didn't want to turn this into a pity party, but I knew I needed to explain everything in a way that he would understand my side of things. "It wasn't a pretty time for me, and I was really lost. My brother, Ben, moved back home to take care of me and one day when we were cleaning out Dad's room, we found a tote with a sewing machine and a bunch of old things my mom had sewn." I took a deep breath. "Needless to say, a love of fashion was born. About that time, the recession hit and Ben was let go from the job he had been working at. For a while, he did odd jobs here and there. He had some temp work but nothing really stuck." I glanced at Jeremy who seemed to be taking everything in. "A few months ago, I stumbled onto an ad on the Donovan Decker website for an internship. I thought it would be a great way to gain real world experience."

At this, Jeremy held a hand up to stop me. "Did you say your brother moved home _to take care of you?_"

I swallowed hard. "I'm getting there, I promise." I took a deep breath. "So I got the interview and the girl setting them up said she was looking for Jane Something and she dropped all her papers and I was the only Jane in the room. I told her that I thought I was the Jane she was looking for." Another breath. "Long story short, Gray offered me the job as her assistant. It was part time hours and the pay was more than enough to cover the back mortgage that we owed since my brother still hadn't been able to find work. Considering our situation, I thought I couldn't say no."

I lowered my eyes, afraid to meet his.

"Jane," he said quietly. "How… old… are you?"

I looked up slowly, finally meeting his steady gaze. The number stuck in my throat until I forced myself to spit it out, barely above a whisper. "Seventeen…"

"Jesus Jane," he inhaled. "Do you have _**any**_ idea-" A hand dragged down his face. "What I-"

I shook my head. "I didn't let it." I answered quickly. "I never would have."

"How did you get them to let you stay?" he asked.

"No one knows."

"But your tax paperwork…"

I shook my head cautiously.

"Do you _**know**_ how much trouble you would be in if anyone found out?"

I shrugged. "My nine looked like an eight by accident on my birthday. Not my fault the company has no follow-up. Anything else they may have inferred is completely on them."

He raised a brow. "You're more sly than I gave you credit for, Jane."

I smiled innocently. "Don't know what you mean."

Jeremy shook his head. "I can't believe all of that talent in you is raw. Completely unspoiled by design school." He whistled in admiration. "Do you know how _**rare**_ that is, Jane?"

"I thought school enhanced talent?"

He shook his head. "Not your kind of talent. They'll try to teach you rules and force their point of view on you. Even if you keep your eye for fashion it will be muddled and diluted by 'popular opinion'."

I frowned. "So wait… this whole underage thing… you're not mad?"

He laughed. "I'm plenty mad, Jane." He sighed. "Mad as hell, in fact." Another pause. "But mostly because I've been bloody fancying a minor!"

"Sorry." I felt my face flush deeply. "I really wanted to tell you." I sighed, feeling a weight released now that I was free from all the lies. "I just couldn't risk it."

Jeremy nodded. "So the boy from the diner… and the punk kid?"

"Classmates at school," I admitted. "We graduate in two weeks. I turn eighteen two days later."

"So India was right after all?"

I nodded and immediately felt the need to change the subject. "So what's your news?"

It almost looked like he gulped, but I couldn't be sure. He reached across the table like he was going to take my hand, and then changed his mind, probably remembering that I was underage, and instead clasped his hands together on the table.

"Okay," he said, letting out a breath. "Keep in mind that I was very understanding of your… situation."

I nodded, meeting his eyes across the table.

"Do you remember when I told you that you helped me fall in love with designing again?"

I smiled, recalling the conversation.

"Well, a lot of things have led me to this decision." The hint of a smile crossed his features. "And now may be the prefect time… considering…" he gestured to me.

I'm sure a look of confusion crossed my face. He took a deep breath and said, "Jane… I'm leaving Donovan Decker. And I want you to come with me."


	2. Unwritten Future

**Unwritten Future**

_"Try to take comfort in the unwritten future"_- Wilco What's The World Got In Store?

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has stopped by so far. If you read, please take a second to review? Reviews are love.

* * *

I looked at Jeremy Jones in disbelief. Surely, my mind was playing tricks on me. Certainly, the man I had grown to respect and admire- the one who, to me, was the embodiment of all that Donovan Decker was… certainly he wasn't _leaving_.

"Bu—but, why?" I sputtered, feeling like the fool child that I was.

Jeremy eyed me cautiously. "It's not important," he replied finally. The waiter came with our food and sat it down on the table. Jeremy held up a French fry and smirked. "You know, if there's one thing you Americans have perfected," he paused. "It's the art of the French fry." Then he popped it into his mouth.

I shook my head, trying to hide my smile. "Don't try to change the subject," I warned. "I thought you loved working at Donovan Decker."

Jeremy had picked up half of his turkey club sandwich. He sighed and set it back down on the plate. "It's complicated, Jane."

I raised a brow. "Too complicated for a teenager to understand, you mean."

Jeremy shook his head. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to," I said, disappointed and somewhat exasperated. I stood up to leave, but his hand on my arm, gentle and calming, stopped me. I met his eyes cautiously. The butterflies in my stomach at his touch were unnerving. I couldn't help myself. Despite everything that had happened with Nick, and now with Billy… I couldn't help the way I felt toward Jeremy. I felt my face flush despite the anger at his words. He was always the only person at Donovan Decker to make me feel like an adult.

"Jane," he said quietly. I saw a flash of that same vulnerability that I thought I noticed earlier. There was something in the way he was talking that made me even more curious about why he was leaving. Certainly it wasn't because of India. But what could it be?

I slowly returned to my seat and he released my arm. My mind was reeling with the possibilities. But even more, my brain was spinning with questions. Not only why Jeremy was leaving, but also why he wanted me to leave with him. And whether or not I should. It was true that because of my complete and utter dishonesty, my time at Donovan Decker had an expiration date from the start, but was I really ready to let it all go? Could I leave Carter and Gray? Could I give up the running around and all of the fun and the paycheck, which Ben and I still desperately needed?

"Jane," he said again, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Before you came to Donovan Decker, designing had become a chore. I wasn't enjoying it. I certainly wasn't in love with it. It had become the means to an end. And that end was making money and meeting women."

He sighed. And I wondered, for the first time, if he was being so reluctant to tell me because he was worried it would change how I saw him. I waited patiently for him to continue, breaking a French fry on my own plate in half and swirling it around in some ketchup. I popped the fry into my mouth and then met his eyes again.

"This isn't an easy thing for me to admit," he said quietly. "But you were wrong… about India."

He was quiet again, apparently waiting for my mind to put everything together. At first, I wasn't sure what he meant. I had seen him and India together so it couldn't possibly be about their 'relationship' or whatever he wanted to call it. And that left only one other thing that I could have been wrong about. I felt myself gasp before I could stop it.

"Jeremy, you wouldn't!" I said and then quickly covered my mouth with my hand.

He ran a hand down his face. "I'm not proud of it Jane."

"But Gray… and, and… and Donovan! They _trusted_ you."

"Shh," he said quietly, holding a finger to his lips. "This isn't something I want to make headlines, Jane. Please."

"And so many of them were your own designs. How could you sell yourself out like that?" My eyes conveyed the betrayal I felt. Even though I tried to hide it, I knew it was no use. I couldn't believe Jeremy could ever do such a thing. What would possess someone to be so… evil? I mean, India, sure… I could almost understand. But everyone _**loved**_ Jeremy at Donovan Decker. His insight and design was celebrated on a daily basis. And to sell out to Gray's ex? Could he really have been that apathetic about his job?

"Jane," he said sternly. "I can't change what I've done in the past." He sighed again. I could tell that he really did regret it. "But there's nothing left at Donovan Decker for me. I told Beau last night that I'm done working for him. That's where I went last night when I asked you to wait for me."

He shook his head. "But I know Beau. It won't be that easy. If I stay at Donovan Decker, he's going to reel me back in… or tell everyone."

I thought about it for a moment. Of course he was right. Carter had taught me enough about politics to know that Beau wouldn't give up an inside man that easily. But… "What's to stop him from telling everyone anyway?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Hopefully the fact that he won't get anything out of it."

I considered this. "Okay, so, if I consider this… leaving Donovan Decker with you. What's your plan?"

He grinned that signature 'Charmer' grin that I had thought I was impervious to. Apparently I was wrong, considering the flip flop in my stomach. "Starting my own label, of course. Our label, if you're interested."

My own label with Jeremy Jones, golden boy of Parsons School of Design. I had to admit it had a lovely ring to it, high school student or not. I knew that it was the chance of a lifetime. And I also knew that if he had been honest with me about design school, that starting my own label at seventeen may be just what I needed to get that full ride to Parsons.

"I don't know…" I replied. Because really I didn't know. I wasn't sure Jeremy and I working in such close quarters, just the two of us, was really a great idea. I didn't know anything about starting a label. I didn't know how we would get the money we needed to keep the house. I certainly wasn't sure Jeremy could be trusted considering what I knew about him now. There were so many things that were up in the air, that I really had no idea what to think.

"You've seen how well we work together," he answered. I wondered if it was just another line. Both Jeremy and I could attest to how well his lines had worked on me in the past. I seemed to be the one woman in Manhattan that was immune to the accent. Either that or every other woman he met was a… well we won't go there. Suffice to say, I hadn't crawled into his bed whenever he opened his mouth the way most women seemed to.

"But I don't know the first thing about starting a business." My voice was serious. "Do you?" I asked, with equal fervor.

Jeremy eyed me cautiously. "I took some business classes in school," he mused. "But it really isn't anything to worry about, Jane. I've already got investors lined up."

My brow furrowed involuntarily. "How'd you manage that?"

He grinned. "Meeting all of the social who's who of Manhattan has had some advantages." He shrugged. "I made a few calls last night."

Jeremy nudged my arm. "You wouldn't believe how many women are looking for the next big designer to invest in."

"Meaning…" I pried cautiously.

"Meaning anything and everything. A new studio with fabrics and dress forms and all the best designing technology you could imagine. An apartment in any part of the city you want."

I frowned. "Sounds too good to be true," I stated. "And I could never do that to my brother."

Jeremy nodded. "I understand." I could see the defeated look on his face. "Will you just think about it, at least?" he asked, seriously.

"I'll think about it," I agreed. "But tell me- what would my role be?"

Jeremy smiled at me again, making the butterflies reappear. "Anything you want it to be, Jane." He paused. "Certainly you don't think I would ask you to be my assistant? I was thinking more along the lines of Junior Creative Director, which would encompass everything from ad campaigns to designing." He leaned in closer to me. "Honestly, it's more than Gray could ever give you at an established company like that. You could help define the label, the company, everything."

V V V V V

My head was whirling even more when the train pulled into the station. Out the window I could already see Billy there, leaning against the loaner car with his leather jacket and fauxhawk. I could feel the blush in my cheeks as I thought back to the night before. Before yesterday it seemed like kissing Billy would be the most awkward thing in the world.

Now I knew better.

I know people always say that they don't want to ruin a good friendship with romance. But whatever is between Billy and I is more than just a good friendship. Maybe I've always known that. Maybe it's something I just realized. But whatever quasi-friendship/relationship we have, it's not like normal people.

I still hadn't sorted out any sort of feelings. It was only a few days ago that I found out about Nick kissing Lulu. I knew that there was still a deep rooted crush on Jeremy that I hadn't come to terms with or completely figured out yet. And now there was Billy- my best friend and sometimes only ally. He had not only kissed me, but he practically told me I was 'the one', which although completely flattering was still kind of… scary.

I never expected to be involved with Billy that way. In fact, he had always been so much more to me than that. He'd been protector, partner in crime, confidant, enforcer and best friend. In some ways, it seemed only natural that our relationship would progress this way. If we were so compatible in every other area, who's to say we wouldn't be the best couple in the world?

And certainly if anything were to go wrong it wouldn't ruin our friendship, would it? We'd been through enough to keep our friendship despite any missteps in romance, right?

I stepped off the train with all of these thoughts running through my brain. Billy caught my eye almost instantly and we were locked there, some invisible cord tethering us together. I made my way to the car and he wrapped his arms tightly around me, his hands finding their way through my hair to cradle my head.

"Hey," he said softly, his eyes still locked on mine.

"Hey back," I whispered in return.

We stood there for a moment, in a hold that was both familiar and newly intimate. And then he pulled me close, resting his chin on my shoulder in a tight hug. "How'd it go?" He asked. I had clued him in on the meet with Jeremy through text messages on the way back from the city on the train.

"Better than expected actually," I replied, pulling back enough to look at him.

Billy gave me that quirky quizzical look that I couldn't help but admit was endearing.

"Jeremy and I are leaving Donovan Decker," I explained. "We're starting a new label together."


	3. Calm Before The Storm

**Calm Before The Storm**

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who is reading, favoriting and reviewing. Much appreciated!

* * *

It was two hours later and Billy and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie. It wasn't lost on me that he hadn't said more than three words to me since I had given him the news. Obviously he disapproved of me leaving Donovan Decker to work with Jeremy Jones on starting a new company. But the silent treatment wasn't going to last much longer as far as I was concerned. If Billy had a problem with it, then we needed to talk about it. Finally, when he let out a heavy sigh, I decided I had had enough.

"Are you done pouting?" I asked, trying not to sound as annoyed as I felt.

"You mean about my-" he froze. "About YOU going off to work in some tiny apartment office with a womanizing man you've had a crush on for months?"

I should have expected that to be thrown in my face, but it stung even more now that Billy and I had kissed. I also had a feeling that my crush on Jeremy was the main reason that Billy didn't want me working with him exclusively. Kiss or no kiss, Billy had always been protective of me when it came to things like that. I could see how Billy would be worried about Jeremy trying to make a move on me. But I knew better.

"Look, it's not even a definite decision yet," I replied, exasperated. "I just thought you would be excited for me. I could have my own label and I'm not even out of high school yet!" I felt the excitement stirring within me again. Certainly, Billy could understand how rare of an opportunity this was for me.

Billy sighed. "You have to know it's not a great idea, Jane. He's… he's not a good guy." I met his gaze. I knew more than anyone just how not good of a guy Jeremy was. No, I couldn't believe that. Making a mistake didn't mean that Jeremy was a bad guy. It simply meant that he had made a mistake. It wasn't like he was all that different from me. I had deceived everyone at Donovan Decker since the moment I had walked in that door.

"I told him everything, Billy," I said, cautiously meeting his gaze for the first time in hours. "Besides, there are… extenuating circumstances at this point."

"Meaning what, Janey?" The pet name he used for me had always sounded so endearing on his lips. The tone of his voice softened, signaling a crack in the hard front he was putting up.

"Jeremy and I have something in common now. Neither of us can stay at Donovan Decker. He and I make a great design team. It only makes sense to try this out." The words came out before I could stop them and I immediately regretted them.

"What do you mean 'in common'?" Billy asked, turning slightly to look at me. Billy was already having a hard time digesting the idea and now I was going to make it worse by airing out all of Jeremy's dirty laundry. "Why can't Jeremy stay at Donovan Decker, Jane?"

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. This was going to get worse before it got better. "He… made some mistakes." I replied cautiously. "Not completely unlike yours truly here."

Billy glared at me, forcing me to continue.

"Jeremy may have… been the mole?" I peeked over at Billy, who was already off the couch pacing the floor.

"Really Jane?" He shook his head and I could tell he was furious. "You _**really**_ think it's a good idea to go into business with someone like that? Someone willing to-"

"Deceive the entire company by pretending to be someone they're not?" I finished his sentence, my eyes leveling with his. I dared him to agree with me, dared him to put me on the same level with Jeremy and still feel okay with it.

"That's different, Jane." He said, raking his fingers through his fauxhawk which was now a complete mess and all out of place. "You were doing it because you needed the money to keep your house. He was doing it completely out of greed."

I got to my feet, walked three paces and stood directly in front of him. "I understand your concern, Billy. I really do." I sighed and met his eyes again. "But there's no point in doing something like that to your own company. The only person you'd be hurting is yourself."

Billy shook his head. "He'd be hurting you too, Janey." He brushed a stray curl from my forehead. "And the point isn't whether or not he'd sell out his company. The point is that he's willing to compromise his morals for money. And if he's done it before, he'll do it again."

"I think you're wrong," I said quietly, but for the first time, I wondered if maybe I was.

The front door opened and Billy and I jumped apart like we'd been caught in a lip-lock.

"Hey guys," Ben said with a huge smile plastered on his face. His brow furrowed at our reaction. "You two seriously get weirder every day."

I laughed nervously and looked at Billy who gave Ben a tight smile before reoccupying his seat on the couch. I followed Ben toward the kitchen to get something to drink. "So what's the plan for dinner tonight?" I asked my older brother.

"You kiddos are on your own," he said, still grinning.

"Oh yeah? Hot date?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact," he replied. My eyes widened in response, obviously the reaction he was looking for. "I'm taking Miss Rita Shaw out tonight."

"That's great, Ben!" I answered, giving him a quick hug. "Where are you taking her?"

As he explained all of his plans for his date, I filled a glass with lemonade from the fridge and then leaned my elbows against the counter top. There was a small fair in town that weekend and they were going to get dinner at a cute Italian restaurant that I loved and then head to the fair. As far as I was concerned, it sounded like the perfect date. "I'm sure she'll love it," I admitted.

Ben disappeared into his room and closed the door. I reluctantly found my way back to the couch and looked at Billy. "Before I told you about what Jeremy did…" I said quietly. "Why didn't you want me to work with him? Was it just the crush thing?"

He shrugged. "Listen, Jane. We both know you're going to do what you want to do, but I really hope you'll think about it seriously before jumping into anything. Not everyone is as honest as you think they are. People do things for their own motives, and those motives are rarely as pure as yours are."

I nodded my head. "Politics," I replied. "I know."

"And greed, lust, payback, jealousy, resentment," he answered quickly. It seemed Billy had given this whole thing a lot more thought than I had. "And what about India ? She's going to have it out for you now. You got her fired and you're thinking about starting a company with her ex. And she already didn't like you as is."

I considered this for a moment. "Well, the firing her thing… all the more reason to leave Donovan Decker. She's going to be digging up whatever she can on me to try to get Gray to fire me too." I took a breath. "But Jeremy already knows everything. There's nothing India can tell him about me that will surprise or shock him."

Billy sighed. "Well, you know I'll do whatever I can to support you, Janey" he said after a long silence. "I just want to make sure that you've thought it through."

I nodded. "It will be fine," I assured him. We were quiet again as he pulled me closer to himself on the couch. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I rested my head on him. I knew there were so many unknowns waiting for us after that night. Billy had been sentenced to a detention center, unless his brother could convince the judge (a.k.a. Lulu's father) that Billy hadn't actually had anything to do with the attempted robbery. I had Gray to face, India to keep away, and a new fashion line to start, none of which I had any idea where to begin.

I nudged Billy in the side as a smile spread across my face. "Were you going to call me your girlfriend before?" I asked quietly.

"Before when?" he said. I felt him shift uncomfortably beside me.

"When we were talking about Jeremy," I turned to face him and grinned. "You stopped short. You were, weren't you?" I poked him playfully. "You were going to call me your girlfriend."

Billy grabbed my finger before capturing my whole hand. "And if I was?" His hand was poised against my side and he tickled me until I yelled and kicked and begged him to stop.

"I was just going to say," I said between gulps of air as I tried to catch my breath. "That if you were going to call me your girlfriend… I'd like the sound of it."

* * *

Stay tuned to see what happens next!


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